“We talked about both internal affairs and global challenges, keeping in mind that the world around us is becoming increasingly changeable and unpredictable,” said Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, at the press conference following the meeting.

EU leaders discussed the EU’s next strategic agenda for 2019 to 2024. They exchanged views on the challenges and priorities for the EU for the years to come. The discussions in Sibiu were based on the Leaders’ Agenda note prepared by President Tusk and were divided into two parts, the first focusing on the external dimensions and the second on the internal dimensions.

“We will see the results of this discussion in June, when – as the European Council – we will adopt the EU’s priorities for the next five years, also known as the Strategic Agenda,” underlined Donald Tusk.

In the context of the upcoming European Parliament elections EU leaders decided to meet on 28 May 2019 in Brussels. They will discuss the outcome of the vote and start the nomination process for the heads of the EU institutions. President Tusk stressed he would like the European Council to nominate the new EU leaders in June 2019.

As the summit took place on Europe Day, the heads of state or government adopted the Sibiu Declaration as a sign of their unity and confidence in the future of the EU.

"We reaffirm our belief that united, we are stronger in this increasingly unsettled and challenging world. We recognise our responsibility as leaders to make our Union stronger and our future brighter, while recognising the European perspective of other European States," states the Declaration.

More information:

Full text of the Sibiu Declaration

Remarks by President Donald Tusk at the press conference of the informal summit in Sibiu